SCHENECTADY, NY
ST. ANTHONY'S CHURCH
COMPLETED
​St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church was severely damaged by fire in March 2014. We were subsequently hired to complete a Master Plan and construction documents for the church’s renovation, including both interior fire-related work and exterior work which was required due to deferred maintenance.
Most of the decorative murals that covered the altar area walls and ceiling had been severely damaged. The parish desired to recreate as much of the original decorative interior as funding allowed while also addressing liturgical changes and improving accessibility. We developed a new interior design that highlighted the architecture, including the surviving wood truss ceiling and stained glass windows. Working in collaboration with Evergreene Architectural Arts, we developed a soft hued finish scheme accented by a palette of historic colors. New wainscot, borders, wall treatments and six new murals were created. Stained glass windows which were destroyed in the fire were recreated.
The altar platform was reconfigured to extend towards the congregation while providing accessibility. In keeping with current liturgical design, the tabernacle was placed behind the altar in a newly created devotional area separated from the altar during Mass by closing custom metal gates. Side niches were for the statuary to allow the creation of a reconciliation room and a sacristy behind them. The existing pews were modified to allow for a new custom baptismal font to be placed in the center of the congregation. Design motifs were incorporated into the newly designed custom liturgical furnishings to complete the space.